Biscuit-facing machine



May s, 192s. l 1,669,087

W. H. HUNGERFORD BISCUIT FACING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1925 2sheets-sheet 1 May 8, 1928. 1,669,087

y w. H. HUNGERFORD BISCUIT FACING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1925 2Sheets-Shet 2 veyor A to pass therebetween.

Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BISCUIT-FACIN G MACHINE.

Application Med October 29, 1928. Serial No. 671,327.

My invention relates to improvements for facing biscuits, crackers,cookes and similar articles. It has for one object to provide a new andimproved mean-s for facing all the articles handled with the same sideof each object facing in the same direction.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims.

The invention is described in connection with handling biscuits orcookies, but I do not wish to be limited to suchuse. The machine maytake the form ot' a separate unit or it may from part of and beassociated with baking, handling, icing or packing machinery. The'articles to be faced may be fed to the facer automatically or by handand they may be discharged and stacked automatically or by hand.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figule l is a vertical longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration; and

Figure 5 is a detail of an alternative form.

Like parts are illustrated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawm s.

A represents any suitable parallel frame or supporting members.Rotatably mounted on these members is the feed roller A1 which is drivenfrom any suitable power' source not herein shown. A2 is a roller mountedon a shaft A3 which is adjustable on the frame members A, A about an areof which the axis ofthe roller A1 is the center. The roller A2 may, forexample, be mounted on the hopper side members A4 adj-ustable along thearcuate slots A5 in the side frame members A. A6 is a belt conveyoradapted to travel about the rollers A1 and A2 and to berlrven by theroller A1. It forms in effect the bottom of the hopper, the sides ofwhich are formed by the adjustable gate member A7 and the side membersA4 which may be adjusted .as a unit with the roller A2 along the slotsA". VIt will be understood that the edges of themembers A4 always liebelow and along the sides of the working surface of the belt conveyorand that the end or gate member A closely approaches the roller A2leaving just suicient room for the blt con- 9 is a rotary brush, theshaft A10 of which may be mounted in any suitable manner on the sideframe members A. The brush A9 is preferably arranged with sufiicientclearance above the roller A1 to permit only a single layer of biscuitsto pass out between the brush and the conveyor belt. The brush ispreferably rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure l to opposethe upward travel of the biscuits along the conveyor Af.

B is an inclined chute mounted in any suitable manner upon the mainframe and having just sufficient clearance at its upper end between itand the roller A1 to permit the passage. of the belt conveyor A6. B1 isan adjusting element having an arcuate adjustin slot B2 through whichpasses the screw :B3 in the side frame member A. The

chute B receives the biscuits fed by the belt conveyor beneath the brushand deposits them between the facing brushes.

These brushes C, C are mounted on the shafts C1, C1 the ends of whichare supported in the side yoke elements C2 and vertically adjustableupon the side frame elements A. The brushes C1, C1 are also horizontallyadjustable in the yoke C2 and are driven in unison and in oppositerotational direction by any suitable driving means, thedetails of whichare not shown herein.

Underlying the brushes C is any suitable lateral conveyor D which maybe, for eX- ample, an endless belt conveyor. Under suit` ablecircumstances an inclined chute might be used. Extending from side toside of the conveyor is the guide D1 having opposed inclined surfaces orchutes D2. It is mounted at each end upon a slotted bar D3 through whichpasses any suitable securing means 4 whereby it may be verticallyadjusted.

In the alternative form shown in Figure 5 I substitute for the rolls C,C the conveyor belts F, F which are driven about the rollers F1, F1 andF2, F2. The biscuits are delivered between said belts and passtherethrough just as they pass between the brushes of the form shown inFigure l.

However, I might reverse the drive of said belts and feed the biscuitsto the bottom of the belt assembly and deliver them from the top to anysuitable lateral conveyor.

It will be realized that while I have shown an operative device, manychanges might be made in the size, shape, number, relation anddisposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention,and I theretogether. Since biscuits are prevailingly made by droppingthe batter on a fiat surface, they have a flat lower surface and anirregular upper surface which 1s frequently convex. My device isparticularly adapted to handling biscuits or other objects wherein oneside of the object is fiat and the other side is convex or irregular oris `inclined about the periphery toward the flat side. In factpractically the only form of small and relatively flat or thin objectwhich I cannot face with my machineis a disc in which the two sides orfaces are parallel and of equal area.

I employ thefollowing general elements; first, a' feeding conveyor;second, an inclined chute down which the biscuits pass from theconveyor; third, a pair of opposed rolls or brushes which receivebetween them the biscuits dropped from the end of the inl clinedconveyor; and fourth, a conveyor' surface beneat the rolls. Biscuits maybe dropped lielter skelter upon the first conveyor, and in fact Iillustrate a species of hopper of which this conveyor forms the Ibottom.To prevent the jamming of the biscuits at the top of the hopper conveyorand to controlthe feed of biscuits to the inclined chute, I use avertically adjustable rotary brush which is driven in opposition to themovement of the hopper conveyor belt. This ,brush permits the passage ofonly one layer of biscuits at a time and these biscuits pass in aforward 'stream down the inclined conveyor chute. They are received bythe two facing rolls which are so driven as to draw the biscuits betweenand through them and to deliver them below. These rolls may be of anysuitable material, but I illustrate them as having any suitable brushbody with 'bristles projecting therefrom. They are mounted on a yokewhich is itself vertically adjustable and they are adjustable on theyoke toward and away from each other so that any size or shape ofbiscuit may be handled. In operation they are adjusted so that thebristles are compressed against the biscuits which pass between therolls, and it is this compressionl of the biscuits between the rollswhich performs the facing operation.

If a parallel sided disc were fed between the rolls, the rolls, beinghorizontally aligned, would tend to hold it in vertical position, sincethe shortest distance throu h the disc at any oint on .its surface wou dbe a line perpen icular to each face of the biscuit. Where a biscuit isstraight on one side and convex on the other and is passed between thervrolls, the shortest distance through the biscuit is at the center ofthe biscuit represented by a line perpendicular to the flat bottom ofthe biscuit and erected on the central point of the biscuit. At no otherpoint on the biscuit, however, is the shortest distance through thebiscuit represented by a line perpendlcular to the flat bottom. As shownin Figure tv the shortest distance through the biscuit at any pointexcept its center is a line inclined outwardly from the centralperpendicular line. The biscuit being gripped between two resilientsurfaces naturally, in response to the thrust of the two VVresilientsurfaces takes that position which will permit the resilient surfaces,in this case the surfaces of the compressed brushes, to approach mostclosely together.

As a convex sided biscuit, in response to the rotation of the rolls,passes through the gap between them, the biscuit tilts, as shown inFigure 3 and tends to drop with the convex face down. The biscuit wouldact in the same way were it `gripped between solid cylinders, butyieldingy cylinders, rolls or brushes are necessary to prevent breakageof the biscuit; As a further assistance in turning the biscuit convexface down, I may employ a double chute `or guide vertically adjustablealong the path down which the biscuit drops. The biscuits strike eitherside of this vertical chute and are slid to the right or the left andare finally deposited on a horizontal conveyor, there being a clearancebetween the horizontal conveyor and the lower edge of the chute topermit the passage of biscuits under the chute.

Under some conditions it is possible to dispense with this double chuteor guide. Under some circumstances a wire may be used in its place orany other element adapted to aid in directing the path of the allingbiscuits or adapted to break their all.

In an alternative form of my device, I use instead of the two rolls orbrushes, two parallel belts, for example of felt, between which thebiscuit is gripped. Along the parallel stretches of the opposed beltsthe biscuits are carried with the straight side parallel to the abuttingbelt, but as the biscuits pass between the centers of the belt drivingor guiding rolls, the ends of the belts perform the same function as therolls and act as above described, to tilt the biscuit. If the biscuit isfed u wardly through the belts it tilts with the flat side down. If itis fed downwardly through the belts, it is tilted with the convex sidedown.

llU

While I have illustrated my machine as employing brushes or belts, itwill be obvious that I might obtain a similar result with any opposedelements which are adapted to permit the passage therebetween ofbiscuits in such manner as to grip them successivly at a pluralityofpoints along the biscuit. As the biscuit shifts between the twoopposed gripp-in elements, it may be tilted just as between t ie rollersand belts herein shown, conforming to changes in the angular relation ofits two sides, and to changes in the thickness of the biscuit.

While in my claims I have used the Word biscuit I do not wish to belimited thereby, since I may handle any objects which by sha e andmaterial lend themselves to similar Ihandling and facing, and it willtherefore be understood that the term biscuit is used as an illustrationand not as a limitation.

I claim:

1. The process of facing articles having opposite sides of diderentcontour which in- I cludes gripping them between opposed elements and intilting them in response to the angular variation of the line of theshortest distance through each article, as it passes between saidgrippinv elements.

2. The process of acing articles having opposite sides of differentcontour which includes feeding said articles between opposed grippingelements and pressing the articles therebetween, moving said elements inunison to convey the articles so pressed through the space therebetween,tilting each article, in response to the pressure so exerted, at anangle to the axis of alignment of the opposed gripping elements, anddischarging said articles from between said opposed elements.

3. The process of facing articles having opposite sides of differentcontour which includes feeding said articles downwardly between opposedsubstantially horizontally aligned gripping elements and pressing thearticles therebetween, moving Asaid elements in unison to convey thearticles so pressed downwardly through the space therebetween, tiltingeach article from its normally substantially vertical plane, in responseto the pressure so exerted, and discharging said articles from betweensaid opposed elements.

4:. The process of facing relatively thin articles having one plane sideand one side of different contour which includes applying pressure tothe opposite sides of said articles and in passing them progressivelythrough said zone of pressure and in tilting them in response to suchapplication of pressure simultaneously to the opposite sides of eacharticle.

5. The process of facing articles having opposite sides of differentcontour which includes gripping them between-opposed elements and intilting them in response to through the space therebetween, dischargingsaid articles from between said opposed elements, each article beingtilted 'out of alignment with a plane perpendicular to the plane fofalignment of the op osed gripping elements, and discharging t em, whenso tilted with 'the same face of each article' lacing downwardly upon aconveying mem.-

7. The process of facing articles havin" opposite sides of differentcontour which includes feeding said articles vertically downwardlybetween opposed substantially `horizontally aligned gripping elements,moving said elements in unison to convey the articles being faceddownwardly through the'space therebetween, and discharging said articlesfrom between said opposed elements,

each article being thereby tilted out ofalignment with theperpendicular, and discharging them, when so tilted with the same faceof cach article facing downwardly upon a substantially horizontalconveying member.

8. In a machine of the class described, means for exerting yieldingpressure upon opposite sides of a flat article having a bevelededge-portion, and means for moving said article beyond saidpressure-exerting means, whereby said article will be dischargedtherefrom with its body disposed at an angle to the normal direction offeed.

9. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, a pairof rollers having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to engage oneof the faces of a fiat article presenting a beveled edge-portion, j

and means for rotating said rollers whereby to effect a discharge ofsaid article with its body disposed in a plane at an angle to the normaldirection of feed.

10. The method of facing flat articles, each having an edgeorface-portion extending at an angle to the other face thereof, which'method includes the exerting of pressure adjacent such portion to shiftthe body of the article to extend at an angle toa receiving surface andthereupon disposing said article upon such surface with one of its facesadjacent thereto.

1l. The method of facing flat articles each having an edgeorface-portion extending at an angle to the other face thereof, whichmethod includes the application of Ipressure upon the articles to causesaid portion to extend downwardly and thereupon permittin the articlesto fall upon a receiving sur ace.

12. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, opposedroller elements having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to-engageone of the faces of a ilat article having an edge or face portionextending at an angle to the other face thereof and means for actuatingsaid roller elements, whereby to el'iect a discharge of said articlewith its body disposed in a plane at an angle to the normal direction offeed.

13. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, opposedroller elements having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to engageone of the faces of a flat article having an edge or face portionextending at an angle to the other face thereof, and means for actuatingsaid roller elements, at substantially equal peripheral speeds, wherebyto effect a discharge of said article with its body disposed in a planeat an angle to the normal direction of feed. y

14. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, opposedroller elements having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to,engage one of the faces of a flatarticle having an edge or face portionextending4 at an angle to the other face thereof, and means foractuating said roller elements, whereby to effect a discharge of saidarticle with its body disposed in a plane at an angle to the normaldirection of feed, the distance between the opposed effective surf acesof said roller elements, prior to the compression 'of the flat articletherebetween, being substantially less than the thickness of sucharticle.

15. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, opposedroller elements having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to engageone of the faces of a flat articlev having an edge or `face portionextending at an angle to the other face thereof, and means for actuatingsaid roller elements, whereby to effect a discharge of said article withits body disposed in a plane at an angle to the normal direction offeed, and means for adjusting the distance between said roller elements.

16. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, opposedroller elements having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted to engageone of the faces of a flat article having an edge or face portionextendine at an angle to the other face thereof, and means for actuatinsaid roller elements, whereby to effect a ischarge of said article withits body disposed in a plane at an angle to' the normal direction offeed, guiding means adapted to receive the articles so discharged and alateral conveyor, underlying the guiding means and adapted to receiveand 'convey the articles delivered thereby.

17. A machine of the class described, in

cluding, in combination, opposed roller elements having yielding contactsurfaces, each adapted to engage one ofthe faces of a flat articlehaving an edge or face portion eX- tending at an angle to the. otherface thereof, and means for actuatino' said roller elements, whereby toeffect a discharge of said article with its body disposed in a plane atan angle. to the normal direction of feed, a vertically adjustableinclined sided guide positioned beneath said elements and adapted toreceive the articles so discharged, and a lateral conveyor therebeneath.

t. A machine of the class described, in` cludiug, in combination, a pairof opposed members having yielding contact surfaces, each adapted toengage oneof the faces of a fiat article having an edge or face portionextending at au angle to the other face thereof, and means for actuatingsaid members whereby to effect a discharge of said article with its bodydisposed in a plane at an angle lo the normal direction of feed.

lco

19. In a machine of the class described,

means providing a surface adapted to receive dissimilarly facedarticles, a pair of driven rollers having bodies presenting yieldableperipheries, means for delivering said articles to and through saidrollers, said rollers being adapted to grip and yieldably engage theopposed sides of said articles and being adapted to dispose saidarticles upon the delivery surface with similar faces extending in thesame direction.

20. -ln an article facing machine, a pair of cooperating rollers havingyieldable contact surfaces adapted positively to engage the oppositesides of the articles to be faced, and means for driving said rollers.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 26th dayof October,

VARREN H. HUNGERFORD.

